Gone
by TreasureTigress
Summary: Harry and Hermione were supposed to be the perfect couple, but two years is a long time to be apart. Promises and hearts are broken, new and unexpected relationships form. What will Harry do? Will so many struggles finally cause him to snap? What is the secret Hermione's hiding? AU


**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. We all know that.**

**Rated T because of language. This is an AU fic.**

**Gone**

I immediately recognised the scrawl on the envelope, I've been getting letters with this particular handwriting for a long time now. It belonged to one of my best friends in the world. My best friend - yet I broke his heart.

Harry Potter. A man I loved and admired, a man who had too many troubles in his 21 years of life. And now I had added to it.

I tore the envelope with a shaky hand. I was nervous. My last few letters had interesting news in them. Devastating for him. I can't help how I feel, can I? He'd always responded, but after the first letter I sent, his letters would become short, rude and somewhat hostile. Accusatory and attempts at guilting me into backing out. Do I not deserve to be happy?

I sighed, folded the muggle paper open and read.

_Dear Hermione_

_I trusted you, Hermione. I trusted you with my heart... And I honestly thought you returned those feelings. I know we hadn't seen one another in a while. In a really long while... but I hoped and wished and prayed you'd wait. _

_Then you told me you said yes to Dean. He's a good mate and he knows how I feel about you... I felt so betrayed. By both of you. How could you? Do you know how much it hurt to hear that I was not good enough? That you couldn't wait for me?_

_I fucking loved you! I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you! I was ready to leave Scotland and move back to London, so we could be together._

_Look, I'm happy that you're happy, you deserve it. I just wonder..._

_Why? Why, Hermione?_

_Harry_

I set the letter down, sighing deeply. I didn't like it. I know I hurt Harry. He doesn't deserve it. I... I just gave up on him. We didn't even really get to the romance part.

After the war, it was quiet for a while. A month at most. In that time, after Harry and I shared a kiss in the Room of Requirement, he came to talk to me.

_"Hermione?"_

_I'd turned to face him, "Yes, Harry?" He looked so shy, his face blushing. I'd had a crush on him since fifth year, and when he kissed me... I'd hoped we'd be a couple. We'd be together after playing a long game of cat and mouse._

_"I... I was wondering if... if maybe you'd want to have coffee with me sometime?" He struggled over the first part. I thought it was adorable. I smiled at him and he looked at his shoes._

_"Sure, but you don't need to wait to tell me." I winked at him. His blush faded and he grinned.  
_

_"Does it need saying, Hermione? I'm madly in love with you." He pulled me to my feet and drew me close. I pressed a kiss to his lips. He was warm and he tasted a bit salty. _

Later that week we went for coffee. He told me that the Ministry was sending him away to Scotland for special training under Moody's mentor and asked me to go with him. I couldn't - I would be returning to Hogwarts for my eighth year. He would only be gone for a few months. Would I wait for him?

I agreed. It would only be a couple of months.

But it turned into two years. I finished school, started to work for the Ministry, I grew up. I fell out of love with him. Of course I missed him. I missed him so much, it hurt, but he was still my best friend.

I told him this in letters. He decided he wouldn't be giving up on me, he'd fight.

He made promises of coming back to me, after his training finished in Scotland, we'd be together. He swore he'd always love me, even if I stopped loving him.

But it has been two years since I've seen him. And Ron's been here, he's been amazing, as a matter of fact. He still eats like a pig, but I just cannot believe how mature the ginger had become.

He didn't make passes me, he didn't do anything remotely flirty, he was just there. A hug, a shoulder to cry on, simply someone to spend time with.

This thing with Dean hadn't happened overnight. I never really knew Dean in school, that is why he surprised me so much.

It started when I went to the post office - the muggle one. Imagine my surprise to find one Dean Thomas there, standing in line to send a letter or a parcel, I assume. No idea why I was slipping into a bout of stupidity, though, what else would someone be doing in a post office?

"Hermione!" He beamed, "Haven't seen you in a while!"

"Dean? Merlin, you've grown up!" I was astonished.

He looked down sheepishly, "Yes, we all tend to do that," he winked at me.

"What are you doing nowadays?" I asked next. Honestly, I was excited to see a classmate I hadn't seen in years.

Dean Thomas had on a large traveling coat with pressed pants, but it didn't hide his broadened shoulders and lean figure. He looked really good.

"I'm actually studying, as hard as it is to believe," he grinned, "muggle literature."

"I never thought you were one for poetry and Shakespeare," I commented, "I always assumed you'd go for something like painting."

Dean grinned again, "Neither did I, but I love literature. It is so beautiful and symbolic and deep sometimes."

He'd ignored my statement on painting. I was curious, but I decided not to pry and make the whole situation lighter.

"Yes, literature also has metaphors, personification and the odd euphemism in it." I teased him.

He laughed heartily, "We're actually doing a sonnet now, it doesn't really have a name. People call it 'Holy Sonnet 10', do you know it?"

I nodded, "Death be not proud, isn't it?"

"Yes! And it is fantastic! I absolutely adored the ending: Death, thou shalt die!" He said dramatically, pointing an accusatory hand at the empty air beside me.

"John Donne - I have so much respect for him, and it's only because he wrote this poem." I said. Dean met my eyes, and I blushed.

Why did I blush? I don't normally blush. I got rid of that habit a while ago. Damn it, why am I blushing?

"Hey, would you like to get coffee sometime?" He asked next, folding his hands nervously in front of him. I found that simple trait really sweet and sincere. I hardly made guys nervous, I wasn't the prettiest girl out there. Plus, I thought, it was a good chance to reconnect with an old classmate.

And that was where it began.


End file.
